


Those you’ve known

by Ab0019



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 23:10:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14122866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ab0019/pseuds/Ab0019
Summary: a roller coaster of emotions all in one night. Surly Hopper can fix everything, or so he thought..





	Those you’ve known

**Author's Note:**

> Set in 1988, 1 year after Heathers came out

“Thank you.. for coming.. I’m sorry, I know it’s late, it’s just I needed someone to talk about this without sounding completely crazy, and-“

“Joyce.” 

Joyce Byers winced as Hopper stated her name, a brief yet considerate way of telling her “Shut up, you’re rambling”. 

“I’m sorry.. it’s just these past few years have been a complete mess and I guess I thought I would never think about it, but then I found some old notebooks and it just.. god dammit what is it.. Clicked? No that’s not it.. maybe the words is-“ 

“Joyce.” 

Joyce sighed as she shriveled down, hugging her arms against her body to the point that it would start to hurt later if she didn’t let go. 

“Did I ever tell you why I stayed in Hawkins?” She finally managed to blurt out. 

“No, but it isn’t exactly a secret. You married Lonnie, Lonnie wanted to stay in Hawkins, years later you divorced Lonnie and found yourself with not enough money to move from Hawkins.” Hopper signed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

If only it were that easy. 

“I mean yes, but before that..” 

“How much ‘before’ are we talking Joyce? Seriously, you’ve been in Hawkins your whole life and could have left at any point but haven’t. Give me a date.” 

Joyce went meek, cringing as she spoke in her quiet, whisper tone she’d been known to speak in for years. 

“1955.” 

Hopper’s face went completely pale as she spoke that horrid year. No specific date, just one, disgusting, year as a whole. 

“Yeah, that was.. quite a year.. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I said goodbye to my father for the last time.” Hopper finally managed to speak out, twisting uncomfortably as he spoke. 

“Hopper, don’t play stupid. You know exactly what happened that year.” 

Did he know what happened that year? Joyce has heard stories of how Vietnam war veterans would sometimes pretend that the war never happened, just so they could cope. 

Sighing, Hopper finally spoke again. 

“That year.. but I don’t understand, your dad was too sick to be drafted for ‘Nam and that god forsaken douche bag you called your boyfriend was lucky enough to avoid conscription.. why was that such a painful year for you?” 

Why was it such a painful year? Joyce wanted to tell herself it was because she didn’t know what this war would bring, but that obviously was just a cover up to mask something else that hurt even worse. 

“I guess I thought I would lose you.. I mean, I was talking with Claudia on how hard it must of been to lose Carter like that, especially only 3 months before his release.. and with a baby coming to.. gosh, that must have been hard..” Joyce trailed off as she poured herself her another glass of wine to distract herself. 

“Mhm, because you had the ability to see into the future 15 years, 5 years after I was released.. check your dates, Einstein.” Hopper laughed, although Joyce could tell it was more hollow then anything else. 

“That didn’t make me any less worried! I mean, we dated at one point!” She huffed, not easily excepting her own defeat. 

“We dated for one week so I could get Diane jealous and date me, you knew this.” 

Did she know this? 

Joyce couldn’t even tell she was crying until she felt his warm, forgiving hands brush against her face. 

“Joyce? Wait, you did now that, right?” 

She didn’t speak, but instead she caved in on herself, hoping the rest of the world would just.. disappear. 

She hadn’t known. 

“Hop, I didn’t know.. I spent day after day, writing in a note book letters that I would one day give to you when you would come home. The way you made me feel the one week.. I felt alive. What you gave me that week was the power to stay with Lonnie, because I knew that you would come back and save me. Save me like the knight saving the princess in one of those books Mrs. K would read to us in kindergarten.” She finally managed to choke out, fighting of even more sons from tumbling down. 

“Look, I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to hurt you like that, but what where you expecting? Cause I can tell you that I thought Diane was going to be another one night stand. Joyce, I thought I was going to die in that war. I wasn’t thinking that i’d walk out of ‘Nam alive! And god dammit, if someone were to tell me that I’d wake up one day with a wife who I would later find if didn’t love me is much as I thought she did and a wonderful little girl who would die from cancer, I’d go tell them to step on a landmine. I was talking life day by day and thinking nothing about my future, Joyce.” 

“Then why didn’t you tell me you were alive?” She spoke without thinking. 

He always dreamt about leaving Hawkins. He didn’t want to come back.. 

“Because I couldn’t. Joyce, I came back and looked everywhere for you. Everywhere. I eventually found you at the last place I thought i’d Ever find you..” He bit back, cringing a little as he realized just how harsh it was 

“The altar..” Joyce croaked out. 

“Joyce. I’m sorry, I really am. I understand you may never want to look at me again, but hear me out.. During the war, I saw plenty of people die, right?” 

“Just how is this supposed to make me feel better?” 

“No, listen. One of the guys I watched die was this man named Charles Conner. This guy had 2 girls in his life, his Ex and his wife. Now, I didn’t have either, but that made me think, you know, if it ever gets down to it, who would I date? Diane, or Joyce. And then it hit me. Joyce, you don’t understand how bad I felt when I realized what it must of felt like for one of your best friends were drafted, and now that I know you loved me more then originally intended, I want to know if you’d be willing to give we a second chance...?” Hopper asked meekly, though Joyce was in no mood to deal with him. 

“Jesus, Jim, your worse then me. I came here to talk about this notebook I finally wanted to give you, then I learned you never loved me, then you tell me you figured out you realized you loved me more then Diane over a dead body even though you married her anyway, and now you’re asking me on a date. You might as well glue your mouth shut before you make it worse..” she laughed mockingly. 

“Yeah.. I deserve that. But please, at least give me the notebook so I can underline meaningful passages for my own suicide because of how bad I fucked up.” 

Joyce practically chocked on her own wine at his last comment, despite how hard she tried not too. 

“Jesus, Jason Dean much? God, what does that make me, Veronica Sawyer?” 

Hopper laughed, glad to see Joyce happier then she was before even though he just broke her and attempted to glue her back up again. 

“Oh please, do I look like I spent my days drinking slushies and faking suicides?” 

“That’s where you’re going to take me for a make ‘Sorry I screwed up in the 50’s, I’ll make it better by taking you out’ date? A seven eleven? Jesus Hop, you really know how to charm a girl.” She cried with joy. 

This was good. 

“I mean, it worked, right? Do you forgive me? Act like tonight didn’t happen and instead go drink slushies?” Hopper asked hopefully. 

“Fine, just don’t fuck with me again or it’ll be you who suicide i’m faking” 

“Sounds great. Our love is god, now let go get a slushie.” 

“Don’t ever say that again”


End file.
